Building Rome
by Countess Verona Dracula
Summary: Michael goes out on a quest for Selene's Valentine's gift and realizes why he puts himself through that along the way. [three part ficlet]
1. Gift

A/N-- This is my first foray into the world of Underworld fiction, even though I've been a fan of the movie since early October. I actually wrote this for an English assignment (boy, did my teacher give me a funny look when she was done reading it!) but it was much shorter. I went back, read it, and decided to lengthen it for 

Rated PG-13 for some mild cussing, no more than the movie.

I set this around a year after the movie, if even that. Enough so that Michael and Selene are still adjusting. Enjoy!

_For Ariel, who dubbed me Michael, who reminds me of Selene at times, and who was supposed to get this for her birthday but never did. And who was supposed to get this for Valentine's Day... but never did. And who was supposed to get this in time for championships... but never did. I'm sorry it took so long! I still love you, and I hope you know that!_

* * *

Building Rome

Nothing anyone had ever taught him had readied him for this.

Michael sighed and did another quick look around. Selene may have been slowly but surely training him as a warrior, which included improving his observational skills, but it wasn't helping now. He was utterly lost.

Of course, maybe it would've been smarter if he hadn't decided to come to the mall the day of Valentine's Day.

There were plenty of men in the world who were bemoaning this day at the moment, but he gave himself brownie points for not hating it. He thought it was good to have a day that forced people to show how much they cared.

Of course, when said person was Selene, that was pretty damn hard.

"Scratch books." He grumbled, shoving a paperback onto the shelf it had come from.

He was certain that Selene could read, but he never saw her doing it. Besides, what would he get her? A romance was too forward, and she'd probably use it for kindling, but a thriller or a mystery didn't seem like a good idea to him. There had to come a time when she would tire of killing. Everyone had a breaking point. There was no need to be reading a book about killing when they lived in a war zone.

Passing through the crowds of lovers, he passed a chocolate shop. His hybrid nose tormented him with the rich scent of the treats within, but he forcefully moved on. He didn't have much money and he hadn't brought it to spend on himself. This was for Selene.

_Is she even going to appreciate it?_ A sneaky voice inside, probably in his stomach, taunted him.

_I won't know until I find out._ He retorted.

Michael stopped in his tracks. Was he talking to himself? He shook his head and kept going. This was what happened when you forced your body, which was already undergoing mind-boggling biological changes, to adapt to sleeping during the day and moving around at night, and then forced it to go back to its old schedule for one day. They were probably still going to be active tonight anyway, Michael realized with a groan. He wasn't going to be a happy camper. Selene never had issues with things like these; she could keep going round the clock without a single hint of pain or fatigue showing up on her porcelain face. He admired that about her. And he admired the face too, the determination in it, the hidden vulnerability, the humanity he knew was there.

Reminding himself why he was there made Michael even more determined. He gained strength from her, he learned from her, even her memory. And that was why she was getting a goddamn present. And if she didn't like it.

Michael froze and realized that his heart just might break if she didn't.

He saw a store with leather jackets and headed in. Maybe he could get her a new one, a shorter one, for spring.

"Excuse me," He hailed a nearby salesperson. "I'm looking for a coat for... a friend. Which one would be best?"

_Shit,_ he was saying inside. _God, I really hate dealing with salespeople sometimes..._ They always made him nervous. Even the knowledge that he could single-handedly pick any given person here up and throw them through the wall didn't calm him.

"Do you know her size?" The person asked. Michael's temper flared a little at the assumption his friend was a girl, then calmed himself with a roll of his tense shoulders.

"I know how big she_ looks_..." He muttered.

"Well, what kind of style would she like?"

"Practical but... stylish." He was tempted to end that one as a question. His skin was crawling with the urge to run far, far away.

The salesgirl headed briskly over to one of the racks, coming back with a coat that would reach to about Selene's upper thighs by the look of it. Michael's sensitive nose prickled at its scent and he almost forgot the chocolates from earlier. It had a positively wonderful scent, like a new car only better, and when he took it from the salesgirl and caressed the leather it was the softest thing he'd ever touched. Soft enough to touch the skin that was somehow forbidden to him except in his dreams.

He almost shouted that he'd take it but then his mind- logic in a time of crisis, that was something Selene had taught him too -insisted he look at the price tag. His stomach dropped and his nose decided it liked the chocolate better after all. His heart might break if Selene didn't like her gift, but the bank would break if he bought this one. He wasn't working anymore and while he had access to all Selene's accounts, using her money was cheating. It wouldn't be a true present if it was bought with her money, unbeknownst to her or not.

"I can't take it." Michael said hesitantly, handing it back. The salesgirl smirked and walked away to put it back without another word to the desolated Hybrid, who promptly walked out.

Outside, he sat on a lonely bench and watched the passersby. A couple here, a couple there. Laughing, kissing... even the occasional brawl as the man said something utterly hilarious to him and utterly infuriating to the woman.

Why was he here, alone? Sure, there were others that were alone. But he'd _always_ be alone. No matter how many Valentine's Days passed, he'd always come here alone. He and Selene would never be the laughing couples or the couples who indulged in copious public displays of affection or even the ones who fought in public. Even if, and a wild if at that, they became a couple it would never be like that. They'd be relegated to the shadows, fugitives. Only in private could they be in love, because in the Underworld love was a luxury payable only with your life.

Michael considered going back to the lair he shared with Selene on the outskirts of the city, then refused. He had come this far. The Rubicon was far behind him. He had made his decision to love and he had made his decision to have in known- in a stolen glance, in watching her back, in memorizing her as she slept -and now he was taking one more step. Little steps, bricks laid one by one, building something grand.

Dammit, Selene was getting a present.

"Nothing feminine, no food, and nothing that could possibly harm me. I'd probably get the wrong weapon anyway..." He muttered to himself.

"Buying for a girlfriend?" Asked a voice next to him. Michael, the first Hybrid, perhaps one of the most dangerous and wanted men in the Underworld, looked like a deer in the headlights at that question. He managed a small nod. "I'm in your boat. I just know mine'd kill me if I didn't get _the _perfect gift. I'm serious, she'd_kill_ me." He nudged Michael with his shoulder. "Know what I'm saying?"

"You have no idea." He whispered fervently.

"Yea, but..." The man looked away, then smiled. "They're worth it in the end, aren't they?" Slowly, his face brightened.

"Yea. Yea, they are." He smiled back.

The man smiled again, more broadly, and then left Michael behind a great deal more enthused than before.

_Alright. Nothing too feminine and nothing too violent. A combination?_ It was like a trumpet had blared in his mind, signaling that he was on the right track. His pace sped up and he dashed into a stationary store, dove through a small cloud of people, and zipped to the back.

There was a quill with a tip that looked sharp enough to cut, and a letter opener plated in gold that looked just as finely edged, both at a price that made him a bit nervous but didn't devastate him like the coat had. He was reluctant to make a commitment to either, though; something was telling him that there was a better gift waiting out there.

That 'something' turned out to be Something Silver, a jewelry store across the way and down a level in the mall. He recalled that another intern had bought the ring he proposed to his girlfriend with from that store and ran in. His steps weren't little anymore; some risks are worth taking.

* * *

"You're early." Was Selene's only comment when Michael came home that night. "You said you'd be home by eight. It's seven thirty." To hear her talk would make it seem like he was in as much trouble for being early as he would've been for being late.

"Well, there were no shootouts to hold up the subway tonight." He snorted. Selene didn't quite smile, but her chocolate eyes warmed slightly in that inexplicable way. Smiles were rare treats, the opposite of an eclipse; a glimpse of deadly sun in their world of moon and stars. "Can I come in?" He asked finally. The vampiress stood aside.

She turned away to shut and lock the door that led to their underground rooms, and Michael used that time to take the box out of his coat pocket. He didn't let her ask any questions; for tonight he was the teacher. He handed her the box with its thick, red parchment wrapping and its gold ribbon.

"Open it." Selene watched him as she did the deed, well aware of the date. The red wrapping fluttered the ground after a swift flick of her wrist and she looked down as she pulled off the top of the box. Her perfect lips parted slightly and suddenly she couldn't meet his eyes again.

"I-it's lovely." She managed. There it was, that vulnerability.

Almost reverently she removed the necklace with its pendant shaped almost like the shuriken she kept about her. This throwing star had a Celtic knot worked across the top, and was about two inches across from one side to the other. It had a good weight to it.

Michael came up behind her and took the necklace from her hands, sweeping her black hair to one side. She let her eyes close as his large, warm hands brushed her neck. Moments later there was the cold weight of the pendant on her breastbone. She turned to meet his eyes.

"You didn't need to get this." She said quietly, one hand straying up to touch the pendant. She was already worried it would become a habit; Michael could see it in her eyes.

He hoped it did. He hoped it reminded her of him every day. He hoped that if he died before she did she would wear that necklace always, like Lucian did for Sonja. He was hoping for love this Valentine's.

"No, I did." He replied with a firm nod. She didn't respond.

He went to light the fire while Selene was checking one of her guns. It was as domestic as it got with them. But after the fire was lit and the door had been checked and the guns were all tucked in snugly next to each other, Michael sat on the loveseat and Selene came to him. She sat next to him, not quite touching, but close. He rested one arm across her shoulders and she leaned against him. Touching, and close.

Of course, her right arm had to be free. So Michael moved his arm so that it was still draped across her but more across her back. The back of his fingers stroked her neck idly, encouraging her to lay her head on his shoulder. Of course, her eyes stayed on the door. Gradually she closed her eyes and he settled back and closed his too.

Of course, she got up later and went to sleep on a couch that was all of two feet away. Of course, she didn't say good night. Michael liked to think that it was because she didn't want to wake him, thinking he was sleeping. Because she memorized his movements when he slept too, right?

Still, Michael was smiling as he curled up alone on the loveseat. Selene hadn't taken the necklace off before she went to sleep. Rome wasn't built in a day.

* * *

AN- Hope you enjoyed! For anyone who didn't know, the Rubicon was a river that Julius Caesar crossed with his forces- an act of war that eventually made him the first Caesar. Review and let me know what you thought! 


	2. Promise

A/N-- This was not_supposed_ to be more than a one-shot, but I got such nice reviews I decided 'why not continue for a bit?' so I'm gonna squeeze out two more chapters. 

This chapter will follow Selene's thoughts on Michael's present, and how she feels she needs to make up for it.

M&M's to my reviewers:  
**hollyberries230**- I'm happy to live up to your expectations! I hope you enjoy this chapter too.  
**fig-aruna**- Thanks so much for your lovely review! I reread it at least three times and felt so very pleased with myself. I wanted to make absolutely sure that I had Michael and Selene in character, because I know it can be tough and it really shows up when they aren't. Once more, thank you!  
**lal**- Well, here's more!  
**Hollysgirl**- Ahh, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. And I'd have a lifetime supply of M&M's! --cries in a corner-  
**Selene**- I'm glad you loved it, it was all for you! I'll always care, never forget that. (can anyone see why I'm Michael, here?)  
**VampyricAngel**- I believe I've seen you around before but this is the first time we've spoken- well met! Thanks for your review, you were the one who got me going on making this a three-chapter fic or something. Here's to hoping it works out!  
**UV**- Here's an update for you! And I saw on your profile that you're from Scotland- awesome! I'm from Southern California, USA myself, but Scotland is number one on my list of places to visit or live.  
**VixenVampireChick**- Thank you for your review! It was exactly what I wanted to hear. I'm so happy I kept them in character. I hope I can pull it off with Selene!  
**GothicAnn87**- I'm glad you like the gift! I actually know someone who owns the thing I based it on- I'm so jealous of him!  
**phantomofthemusical**- Thanks muchly for your review! (awesome penname by the way:-) it was a combination of this, an overdose of candy and watching Underworld yesterday with my very own Selene that inspired me to add another chapter to this.

Once more, for Ariel (Selene). She knows why, because she has made a habit out of reading my mind.

* * *

_Building Rome- Part Two_

"Where exactly are we headed?" Michael asked for perhaps the thirtieth time that night.

"Keep your eyes on the road." Selene snapped, perhaps a little more harsh than she meant to be. Not that she should be caring that she was snappish, because she had always spoken to Michael however she pleased. But she wasn't the happiest of vampyres at the moment- she knew part of the reason she'd insisted he kept his eyes on the road was so he didn't get himself hurt. She wasn't just worrying about herself anymore.

Selene frowned slightly as she noticed her hand drifting towards the pendant Michael had given her two days ago for Valentine's Day and made sure her hand went back to her lap afterwards. Her other came up to pinch her forehead slightly.

"Look, I know we left on short notice. I was just starting to get nervous staying in the same place. We're easier to find if we're hiding in the same hole all the time."

"For all we know, no one's following us." Michael replied a bit absently. He leaned forward in his seat to get a better view of the road- an obedient Hybrid if there ever was one -then settled back with a faint creak of leather and a ripple of muscle she couldn't help but notice.

_Keep **your** eyes on the road_.

"Believe me, they are." She replied quietly, looking out the window at the washed-out February evening. To this Michael said nothing. His trust in her was consummate. Overwhelming.

"Pull over." She added a minute later.

Michael looked over, wanting to question her, but in the end complied.

"I'm just going to get some cash for the road." She said. Not that she needed to explain herself to him.

The ATM, all stainless steel and digital writing, looked as out of place in the small town they passed through. If Selene had walked through in her Death Dealer uniform she would've looked more natural. She accessed her account and looked around with habitual apprehension for any sign of being watched. It was ridiculous to think that the simple act of accessing her account would bring hordes of her former men and women at arms down on them, especially since one of her first acts after killing Viktor was to transfer her personal funds (and some of Kraven's, the sodding bastard, in retribution) to a different account under an alias. They could never get there that fast. Still, the urge to look around was there. After all, she wasn't looking out for just herself anymore.

"To hear me say that you'd think I was pregnant."

Unbidden, a thought of Sonja and her unborn child flitted through her mind. Michael had woken up with hollow eyes and described the sight and sound of her burning body enough times for Selene, too, to feel as if she had lived it. Nine hundred years later and the Underworld was still paying the price for the love of a slave and an aristocrat.

With Michael's eyes, somehow dreamier and more lucid when he was just waking, hovering in her mind and her hand hovering over the surface of his present, Selene slowly punched in a different account, out of sheer curiosity. Before she had withdrawn money from it, her account's balance had remained the same as last time she checked. Where had Michael gotten the money for his present? Surely he didn't buy it himself, when she insisted that he use her money whenever he needed so that his own savings didn't dip too low?

Her still heart almost sank when she did the quick math it required to figure out exactly how much money the pendant lying heavily over her breastbone had cost. By all accounts it wasn't that much, just shy of a hundred dollars, but out of his own money? God knew he didn't have much. And for _her_?

Staring at the illuminated screen and its hard, definite numbers, something crystallized in Selene's mind. They knew each other's account numbers. They both swore that at some point they'd combine them. Until then, you can always use my money when you need it, they always said. Yet they never did. They never shared. Just as they ran together, hid together, fought and prepared to died together, but didn't share their lives.

Selene finished the transaction and got back into the car to see Michael look quickly away from her.

"You were watching my back- that's good instinct, but I don't need you to." She said as briskly as a teacher in the schoolroom, no trace of her soliloquy showing on her face. "You should be keeping an eye or an ear on all parts of your surroundings at all times, not just on one."

"Maybe I was just looking at you." His voice was quiet as he took the car out of park and began to back away from the curb.

Moments later, driving silently down the open road, Selene's hand was drifting towards the pendant again.

"I never got anything for you."

"It's okay." His gaze flickered to her.

_No, I should've gotten something for you_. Selene bit down on those words so hard she tasted blood in her mouth, like they'd cracked and slit her tongue. She could never show that indecision. Whatever happened, she couldn't say she didn't know what to do or question her decisions. He was new to this world and no matter where he turned without friends. She was the one safe place he had. She always had to be right, because if she faltered he'd be the one to take the fall. It was a long way down.

_It's just a necklace, just a gift. Just a bloody gift._

But it wasn't.

It wasn't and they both knew it. To say otherwise was like standing in a crowded square and trying to tell yourself continually that you were completely alone, an unassailable fortress of stone.

She left it hanging in the air until she knew what she had to do for certain.

"Park here." She nodded to the motel on the side of the road.

Michael spared her a strange glance before he complied, pulling up the gravel road and parking.

The glaring neon lights hurt Selene's eyes and left her in a slight daze as she walked up to the desk.

"Do you have a vacancy?"

"That's what the bright red sign outside says." She could feel Michael stiffen at her back, obviously expecting some sort of outburst.

"Good. We'd like a room for the night."

By the time they got to said room, Selene's mind was made up entirely. She knew what she was going to do and nothing was stopping her.

"Why are we getting a room?" Michael asked slowly once the door was closed behind them.

"Keep your mind out of the gutter, Michael." Selene quipped.

"It wasn't there! We've traveled straight on through daylight before, that's all."

"Well, we're stopping early today. I've just remembered something very important I have to do." She shed her coat, leaving her in the black tank top, pants and boots that Michael still mocked her for calling casual. "I'm going alone."

"No."

She was startled. Normally he wasn't the dominant one. He followed her orders. Yet instead of unfailing obedience in his eyes, there was an unbreakable determination. Those eyes wouldn't see her hurt.

"It isn't dangerous. I promise." Her voice was soft. "But I have to go alone. In the meantime I want you to stay in this room. Go over the four katas I taught you last week, empty-handed and then the last one with a knife, until you can do it with your eyes closed and not kill yourself or damage the furniture. After that do one of the tai chi forms I showed you to cool down, then go over my guns, clean them, and work on ejecting the magazine and reloading it as fast as you can, and keep in mind that pretty soon I'll want you assembling the entire thing that quickly. Hold some shooting stances with the guns too.

"I should be back before dawn."

Michael sighed, giving her the proverbial puppy dog eyes. She found herself wondering if that would be cute or downright eerie with eyes black and empty as a night sky with no stars.

"Do you have to go alone?"

Her face softened for a fleeting instant and then her walls slammed down, solid portcullises.

"Yes. I have to go alone." _I'm certain of this._

She closed the door behind her and stood in the hall of the garish motel in the middle of nowhere, her hand still on the doorknob.

_Like hell I am._

* * *

The strip mall was small, lacking even a second story. Her options were limited, but it could always be worse. She passed small family restaurants and clothing stores, even a computer repair store. Nothing caught her eye, although she caught the eye of several other patrons. She pushed past a pair of giggling girls and stood leaning against a nearby pillar, staring at the clouds baring down above her. 

Nothing had caught her eye in an hour of looking and two strip malls, and it was getting harder to keep that cool reserve that had kept her alive so long. Why did it have to be this hard?

Maybe it was that the deeper into western Europe they went, the more out of place Selene felt. It didn't matter that she had been born in England; places like this felt so strange now. Ordoghaz and the city around it had that queer mix of ancient Gothic and cutting edge modern, a war nine centuries old and weapons ahead of their time. Here it was all shiny and bright and new, almost no trace of the dark world they'd left behind.

A pawn shop caught her eye, a seedy enough looking place. She almost walked in, and then stopped herself. She wasn't getting something from a place with bad lighting and dingy windows owned by a man with a cigarette dangling lifeless from his mouth. That was the world they were trying to escape.

Standing in the too-bright lights, listening to fading laughter, haunted inside by the events that had sent her running from the Underworld, Selene had an idea.

She almost ran back to her car. It wasn't going to be easy. She was going to have to go mostly on a whim, and go in guns blazing. But she knew she had to do it. She was certain.

* * *

"You stepped away from the door before opening it. Good." 

Those were the first words that came out of her mouth when the motel door opened. Michael just nodded and closed the door behind her.

Selene was standing in the room but felt like she was still on the threshold, like there was still time to turn and flee the site of the battle. She stood there and just looked at Michael. His hair was loose and still damp with sweat, hanging in front of his face. He flicked his head back so that it stayed out of his eyes, which caught in the light and shone for a brief moment. Her hand drifted up to touch the pendant hanging over her heart.

"Are you going to tell me where you were?"

Already those eyes were in the first stages of becoming jaded, his voice containing the first traces of ice. He listened to everything she said, but that came with a price. He expected secrets now. He'd been in her world for such a short time and already it was tainting him. That thought frightened her more than it should've, but she welcomed the fear. It was the spur she needed to do this.

"I was getting you a gift."

He frowned and took a step forward, closer to her.

"You didn't need to." He said, echoing the words she'd said two days before.

"No. I did." She took a deep breath. The safety was off. Time to squeeze the trigger and hold on tight. "I'm giving you a day without running and looking over our shoulders. I'm giving you a day to stop and just breathe." She let the breath out and took a step forward too, so that they were just one more step apart. "And I'm promising you that when we start running again, I will stay with you. No matter how far or fast we have to run, I won't leave you. I will fight beside you until it's all over. I dragged you into this, and I'll get you out." Another breath in, and then out again. "No matter what, we'll run together."

Too many emotions flew across Michael's face to put a name to each individual one. He reached out and lay his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. For once, he was the demanding one. Those eyes demanded answers. No more secrets, no more lies. Part of her was proud that he was that suspicious, and another part ached that she'd pulled him into a world that required that.

"That's my gift. It's all I have to offer you. This day and a promise."_ I'm sorry.  
_  
"That's all I need."

She reached up to touch his wrist. At the same time, they took that last step. His face hovered close to hers, the other hand coming up to touch the other cheek. His lips parted in the slightest degree, but then hesitated. His arms went around her, and hers around him, and for just a minute he held her close, her face buried against his neck. It was the first time she'd felt safe since Viktor had shown his true colors. It was the most intimate moment of her life.

She wanted nothing more than to relax into him and forget there was a world outside. But she couldn't. She could only hope that Michael wasn't too far gone to forget about it for this day, or her gift would be in vain.

They drew back at the same time. After a moment, Michael smiled.

"Look at us. I guess there's some truth to the saying 'thick as thieves.'"

Selene just nodded, because she knew what he was saying. Whatever they had, whatever they would have, would be stolen.

"I'm going to take a shower. Keep your mind out of the gutter." His smile broadened and one broached her lips.

Michael walked past her, towards the bathroom, and for one small instant the line of their bodies brushed. Selene felt her whole body tense, her eyes falling shut. He walked past and she shivered. Of course, it was just because of the rush of air following him. There had to be one, even though he was walking so slowly.

It reminded her of when they'd left the sewers where both Lucian and Viktor lay slain. Then it had been her walking away and him turning to follow. Would they always be walking away, opening and closing doors?

Selene felt the smile twitch across her face once more. No, not walking. Running. And not away. Together. That was what she had swore, and she didn't break oaths like Viktor. Michael, trusting as he was, would believe her, and hold onto that. She'd hold onto the promise she'd found in that embrace- that slowly, brick by brick, they'd tear down the walls. One day they wouldn't be just running together, but living.

* * *

A/N- I hope you enjoyed that! I have vague plans for a third and final chapter but I need to prod my muse a bit before she belches it out. Reviews always help! I'm curious to know how anyone thinks I handled Selene- I'm not sure if I struck the right pitch. I think she has a tad too many internal monologues, but they were important to the plot. I'm still not sure. This chapter just wasn't as strong as the first.

About the nine centuries of war-I'm fairly certain the story of Lucian and Sonja took place in the 1100's. It's been a while since I read _Underworld: Blood Enemy_, so I don't remember for sure. Anyone who wants to know their story (it looks like some of it will show up in Underworld: Evolution) should go and read it. 


	3. Recapitulation

A/N-- Okay, here we go. This is the long overdue end, people! I hope you enjoy it! 

This will follow both Michael and Selene as they ponder the changes they've gone through since that Valentine's day. I tried to move away from the original concept of the fic- which was very 'internally' driven I guess you could say, as most of the action was within the character's minds -and go towards more 'external' action. Plus, Selene just wouldn't be happy without a little bloodshed! I hope the transition works.

**danally**- Thanks for reassuring me about the monologues! And don't worry- you were supposed to think that about the motel!  
**hollyberries230**- LOL! I have to agree with you on the grammar thing. It is a major annoyance when someone just can't punctuate, even though I understand when English isn't their first language.  
**Hollysgirl**- So nice to see you still put up with me after all my long absences! Many thanks for the M&M's, too!  
**UV**- Thanks for the reassurance on Selene's character. And I still want to visit Scotland! Cold weather is more to my liking than hot in any case.  
**eridani**- You hit the nail on the head. I just couldn't get that one as centered around a theme as the first one, and I figured that out when I reread it. I'm trying to make this one more structured, but I'm not sure it will come out that way. I'm really wondering now if I should've continued from the first part of this, but it's too late to go back now.  
**fig-aruna**- GAH! Loved your review. It was like a really good horror movie- I kept wanting to just shut my eyes and not look, but I couldn't tear away from the screen. I do get too many nice reviews and I do need to hear what went wrong more often. Everything you said was very, very valid and I appreciate the time you took. I'm going to reread it at least once more as I go in to finish this final chapter (at this moment, it's probably 1/4 done) and keep everything in mind. Selene is a pretty difficult character to keep IC, and I hope she improves in this one! And by the way, go feminism!  
(in response to your second review) It's okay- I know the stress of finals! In reality, I don't want you to apologize for that review. I needed it.  
**leogrl9**- You asked exactly the question I was trying to bring up! I hope it is answered for you in this.  
**Areie**- Yes, that is always hard with Selene. I hope I get more of it in this installment!  
**Frek**- Thank you muchly for your review. I'm glad you enjoy the imagery!  
**BlueGirl90**- I'm sorry I took so long on the update!  
**alia-harkonnen**- very cool penname. I could swear I've heard it before. And thanks for your review!  
**Serendipity9**- Many thanks for your review!  
**Gypsy**- I love both your reviews! Your plea definitely got me going again.  
**Kairiyuna15**- I hope I spelled your penname right. Again, thanks!  
**Hermione Rae**- The director's cut is awesome, so I hope you got to see it. And they didn't go off of Blood Enemy in the second movie, unfortunately.  
**Hitoribocchi**- Woa, another difficult name to spell. Thanks for the review!  
**NinjaFox**- Well, here's your overdue continuation.  
**Nobody's Princess**- Many thanks for your review. It got me going again and I hope this satisfies you!

_As always, for Ariel (Selene)._

* * *

  
Building Rome- Part Three

The rain was coming down hard enough for Michael to open the curtains with no fear of the sun. Not that he feared it- not where he was concerned, anyway.

He stood and watched the storm, the rich scent of a damp world surrounding him. Rain always made every scent sharper. Even to a human, the concrete and metal seemed to have their own smell, and blending with the smell of exhaust and ozone and lawns and trees. It was as if the rain made everything run together, so that the earthy smells and the urban ones blended into a pungent cocktail.

His new sense of smell was one of the things that had fascinated him most when he was turned; the improved vision and hearing were nice, but smell was an entirely new dimension, and the most improved by far. At first he'd always wake up or get distracted by a new smell, like he was a child seeing the world for the first time.

Michael wasn't sure what woke him up, because his mind was immediately overtaken by one thought when he did.

It was Valentine's Day.

He stood there staring at the rain falling on the street below and had no idea what he should do. When he'd gone to get Selene her present he'd assumed that by the time they came to their next Valentine's- if they lived that long -he'd know exactly what to do. Like any good person, he procrastinated about considering his next move. After all, the change in a year, a whole YEAR, would be large and obvious enough for his course of action to be clear.

Well, it had been a year, and for the first time he realize how small that measurement was in the life of an immortal. True, they were in a thousand miles away from where they had been, and they weren't hunkered in belowground quarters anymore, but how much had_really_ changed?

He was still standing at the window when Selene came out of her room. So used to knowing her by presence alone, he didn't turn to look at her.  
She didn't say good morning, heading straight for the small kitchen. He turned to look at her just as she was getting her mug out of the drying rack where she'd put it the night before. She reached for the towel and dried it off briskly, and Michael realized that he'd never seen her do anything so domestic in that year. He stood watching her, already dressed for the day with a gun tucked into the waistband of her black pants and a knife in her boots, and realized that he couldn't ever recall seeing her without shoes on.

"I'm going to get ready and then meet with Wyatt. We're supposed to be finalizing everything today." He said without preamble.

Selene glanced up to meet his eyes and nodded, then went to the refrigerator to get a pack of blood. Michael stared at her, black hair falling in her face, for another moment, and then walked away, unable to stop the sinking feeling in his gut. He didn't doubt she knew what day it was, but she didn't say anything. He was floundering without a cue from her.

_So you're just following orders?_

His own words cut at him. He was the one following orders now. Yes, some things had changed, but not for the better.

When he was done dressing and armed himself, he mumbled some inane good-bye. He closed the door behind him and walked out of the complex and into the rain without putting on a hood, letting the rain pound into his scalp as if it could beat the thought of failure out of his head.

* * *

The overly pleasant beeping of the microwave was almost startling in the silence of the tiny apartment. Selene retrieved the packet of blood, body temperature now, and poured it into her mug. She sat at the table and stared at the empty space across from her. She took a sip of blood and shifted in her seat. Did it always creak that loudly?

With brisk sort of sigh, she drained the mug and treated it to a brutal washing and left it to dry in the air. She walked back into her room and got out her guns and lay them out in neat rows on the dresser, then checked each one for signs of wear and tear.

As the familiar task always did, caring for her weapons allowed Selene to drift apart from her body for a moment and think. Something didn't feel right, and she needed to figure out what it was.

When Michael had left for his meeting with the local alpha lycan, Wyatt, he had seemed tense.

It's his choice to be miserable. He's bringing it on himself. All sense of detachment from the world was abruptly gone. She put the gun down and slumped back in her chair. It was his fault if he wanted to mope about the date. She knew it was Valentine's as well as he did.

To her defense, she shouldn't be celebrating the advent of her gift to him for another two days in any case. She was, in fact, very accurately reproducing the feeling she'd had a year before: guilt. That was why, when she had walked into the main room of the apartment and seen him silhouetted against the window she didn't say anything. She couldn't. There was nothing to be said. The only thing she could've said was, "Stand away from the window. You're liable to get shot, and I could only save you once."

That worried her more and more. It was like watching a fledgling bird totter towards the edge of the nest; she wanted to reach out and pull him back, keep him from falling, but at the same time she wanted to see him take off on his own. She failed continually to find the right balance.

She thought about him going off on his own that day and of the rumors she'd heard of this Wyatt. He was the sort of man who tried to compensate for everything, and that wasn't what one wanted in a lycan alpha. Once he sensed just how powerful Michael was compared to him, he'd go on the defensive. Michael might be more powerful, but Wyatt had an entire pack to back him up.

She finished cleaning the guns very calmly. Less than half an hour later she was out the door of the apartment, praying she had it in her to save Michael just once more.

* * *

_The shit is about to hit the fan_. Michael couldn't help but feel his palms sweat where they were splayed on the utilitarian steel table, even though he knew that fear was the last thing this lycan needed to goad him on.

Wyatt sat across from him, his normally green eyes already glowing with supernatural anger. His four guards- each of whom could've easily been pro-wrestlers -were glaring at him with similar emotions. Whenever they'd talked on the phone Wyatt had seemed friendly and willing to help. Anything to get those vampyres off their backs.

Yet the moment they walked in the door, Wyatt had been inches from snarling. When Michael tried to shake his hand, he'd jerked away.

"Look, Wyatt, all we're asking is that you promise to send a few members of your pack along with us and give us enough money to arm them up to our standards."

"To your standards? I take it mine aren't_good_ enough."

"They're fine for out here, but where we're going they just won't cut it. Trust me, I've seen-"

"And why the hell should I trust you?" Wyatt finally shouted, standing and flinging the table. Michael scrambled out of his chair and knocked it aside. His hand groped for the place where a gun normally was and realized that he'd come unarmed as a token of goodwill. He began reaching for the Hybrid inside of him, but had no chance as Wyatt leapt for him, already half shifted.

There was the sudden sound of gunfire, but it came from behind Michael. He turned in time to see Selene entering like a vengeful goddess clad all in black, her gun aimed and no hint of indecision in her eyes.

"Believe me, he knows about vampyres." She said when Wyatt fell to the ground, twitching with the aftereffects of the bullets.

There was no time to ruminate on the statement; the guards attacked and more lycans appeared from the room beyond. Selene tossed Michael a gun and he caught it easily, rising beside her and taking aim. They worked in perfect unison, ducking and turning, using the table as a shield. Michael didn't bother asking her for another magazine when his gun clicked empty. He shifted and charged at the remaining few lycans, heedless of the bullets biting into his hide.

As it always did when she shifted, his mind leapt free of his body and he observed himself like a different person. He felt a sudden anger. No, not even anger- _rage_. He was furious. Underneath that fury was pain and hurt. It felt so good to let it all come out in a hot gush, just like the organs that he spilled from one lycan with a swipe of his claws.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. He sat in one corner of the tiny room as Michael, the weak and shaking human whose emotions were safely compartmentalized and shoved aside.

One lycan still remained alive; he got off one last shot that pierced Michael's shoulder before Selene put a bullet in his brain. Moments later she was kneeling before him, her cool hands reaching inside of Michael to pull out the bullet.

"Did you know that Valentine's Day actually marks the day of a slaughter?" He grunted as it came free.

"Then Happy Valentine's." She replied, placing the bloody lump in his hand. "Now let's get out of here."

* * *

Michael didn't notice the thousands of different smells or the rain on his skin as they walked back to their apartment. He wasn't even very aware of Selene. He was aware only of the complete emptiness that had filled him once he came back to his human form.

He didn't feel shaken at all by his loss of control. In fact, he wanted it back. Like Selene when she entered the room, he'd been not fearless but completely resolved in the grip of that anger. He knew what he wanted and he went for it. He wished the world could remain that black and white.  
Selene still hadn't said anything when they got back in the apartment. All she did was remove most of her guns and replace the ammunition.

"You shouldn't have come." Michael said at last, glaring at her from his seat at the kitchen table.

"You were outnumbered twenty to one, Michael."

"I could've handled it."

"What if you couldn't have?" Selene's voice was red with anger. It was the same he'd felt, he realized, a heady blend of rage and regret.

"I'm sorry. I should be more grateful." He felt disappointed as he said the words. There he was, giving in again. "I just... I wanted to do this on my own. And here you are riding in to save my ass. Again. What pisses me off is that it's probably a good thing you did."

"I've had hundreds of years to get good at what I do." Selene replied. "You've had just one. And you've accomplished more than I ever hoped for in that one."

"So you're proud of me?"

"Yes. In my own way."

"I'm not." Michael responded softly. He could feel a soft bubble rising inside him; it was the resoluteness without the rage. "We're exactly where we were a year ago. Do you realize that?"

"I do." Selene wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

She didn't reply for a long time. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough to let you go in there alone. Next time I'll let you handle things your way." She tried to leave and put the guns away, but Michael seized her arm and held her there.

"You're not walking away from me."

"Let me go." She seethed. Her eyes were seconds away from turning blue.

"No. Not this time. I'm through with letting you walk away from me."

"What else do you want me to do?"

Michael faltered. He let his hand drop to his side. He didn't know what he wanted.

"I want you to stay." He whispered.

His heart nearly stopped when she drew away. But instead of leaving the room, she just went to stand near the window. Hardly daring to hope, Michael followed.

"Our world will never allow this." Selene said. The rain on the windows was almost enough to drown her quiet voice out. "It will crush us."

"I know. I've known that ever since you first saved me." He shook his head. "It hasn't changed anything. I don't care if this isn't supposed to happen or if it's too dangerous."

"I won't always be there to save you."

"I know. And I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking you to stay with me."

"Why?"

Selene could see his reflection smile.

"Because I love you."

Michael could swear he saw hers do the same thing.

Without a trace of fear, Michael put his arm around her waist. She rested one hand there, lightly.

"We could always keep running, you know." He whispered after a moment. "There'll always be somewhere we can go."

"No, we can't." Selene replied, tightening her hand on his arm as if to hold him back. "They'll never let us. We'll have to stand and fight. And we will."

Michael didn't reply, and she leaned back into him rather than continue. Just as she'd wanted to a year ago, she closed her eyes and for a moment let Michael's warmth melt her like ice and fog up her mind. She let herself forget there was a world outside. Yes, they would stand and fight someday.  
She stretched her arms above her head to wrap them around his shoulders. Michael turned his head to rest his lips against the pulse in her neck- not quite a kiss, just a gentle pressure. He nuzzled the spot for a moment, an action both so lycan and so vampyre at once.

"Aren't you getting tired of fighting?" He asked, his words a whisper on her skin, a question that could shake their world. She shivered.

"Yes. Just don't expect it to happen all at once."

For a long time they stood there without thinking or speaking or moving, just living. The rain blended the smells outside, urban and earthy, natural and not. The light falling through the window etched out their silhouette, straight and proud, the skeleton of a mighty city being built. It was just a skeleton, but it was a beginning, built on a hundred thousand tiny moments. There were still a hundred thousand more to go, of course, but that was the wonder of it: there was still so much left to live.

Slowly, out of her sight now, Michael smiled again.

"No. No, I don't expect it to."

_Rome wasn't built in a day._

* * *

FIN A/N-- Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this ficlet, because I liked writing it. Here's to everyone who read and review it, encouraging me to continue! 


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